Weather Safety: How To Prepare For A Tornado In An Apartment In Westfield
Residing in the Midwest, you can count on severe storms every year. Odds are, your locale will even experience a tornado warning from time to time. While most people know how to find safety in a house when tornado sirens go off, the advice for apartment Residents is less clear. When you don’t have a cellar to seek refuge in, here’s how to prepare for a tornado in an apartment in Westfield.
Tornado Warning? Where To Shelter In Your Apartment Building
When the tornado alarms go off outside your Westfield apartment, where should you take shelter? Not many apartments have lower levels. You might even reside on the top floor.
While a small number of tornadoes are powerful enough to demolish a sizeable apartment building, smaller twisters can still rip out trees, take off roofs, or send objects through windows. Be sure to find shelter during strong winds or tornado warnings in one of these places:
- A below-grade level of your parking garage
- The bottom floor of your apartment building, and not close to windows
- A ground-floor neighbor’s apartment
- Interior hallways or stairwells with no windows
- A windowless room or closet of your apartment
- Under a solid table
- In the bathtub with a thick blanket as protection
When you hunker down, wear a bicycle helmet or cover your head with an oversized pillow.
Be Prepared For Severe Weather
The best way to prepare for a tornado in your apartment in Westfield is to monitor weather conditions and plan ahead. Your plan needs to include emergency supplies if you become trapped in your home or have to leave quickly. Choose a dedicated place to store your emergency kit and include these items:
- Portable radio
- Flashlight
- Additional batteries
- Spare set of car and apartment keys
- Smartphone charger
- Money
- Emergency medical kit
- Photocopy of your license or identification card
- Shelf-stable snacks
- Bottled water
- Crucial medications
- Pet supplies
Inspect your supplies at six-month intervals to verify they still work, and switch out the water and food items. When you are in a tornado warning, take shoes and appropriate clothing with you when taking cover.
Tornadoes can easily damage power lines in your area. For power outages, keep these essentials at the ready:
- Non-perishable food that you don’t have to cook
- Battery-operated lights
- A power bank for charging your phone
When you’re fully prepped, you’ll handle any situation better and feel more peace of mind.
What Not To Do During A Tornado
Everybody assumes it won’t happen to them. You can avoid bodily harm or worse during severe weather by avoiding certain situations. Take shelter immediately and don’t
- Use an elevator during heavy winds
- Look out the window
- Venture outdoors
- Take shelter under shelves, heavy decor, or tall furniture
Make Ashley Place Your Home Regardless Of The Weather!
We can’t prevent tornadoes, but we can offer an incredible apartment living experience at Ashley Place Apartments! You’ll feel completely at ease in one of our distinctive apartments complemented by modern amenities in a well-maintained community. Contact (317) 689-0173 or book a tour to come check us out and see why we’re a preferred place to reside in Westfield.